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SUMMARY: Seven claims that an arms dealer assaulted her to extract Borg technology.
Janeway acquires a new weapons system from an Entharan trader named Kovin. Seven goes to help him with the job of integrating it into Voyager's systems. When Kovin criticises her work and pushes her aside to do it himself, she hits him.
After Seven exhibits new-found anxiety in Sickbay, the Doctor believes it is caused by blocked memories trying to surface. He has added a psychiatric subroutine to his program and eagerly asks for permission to use it. Given the go-ahead, he employs the expertise it has given him to lead Seven through hypnotic regression therapy. During their session, Seven recalls that Kovin performed a medical procedure on her and extracted Borg technology without her consent and without her being consciously aware of it.
While probing her memories, Seven remembers the procedure took place while she and Kovin were testing weapons. They entered his laboratory and he fired a thoron beam at her. Then he activated the Borg assimilation tubules in her arm and extracted some Borg nanoprobes. Another Entharan was lying on the next table. The Borg nanoprobes were applied to him and he was assimilated. Janeway questions Kovin, who denies everything and claims the thoron weapon was fired accidentally. Faced with contradicting stories, Janeway proceeds with an investigation.
the Doctor coaxes forth Seven's "memories" |
Seven remembers Kovin extracting nanoprobes from her |
Kovin pleads with Tuvok to drop the charges against him. Since his people depend on trade, just an accusation of violating their protocols concerning diplomatic relations is a serious offence and he would lose his livelihood. In the presence of an Entharan magistrate, the Doctor inspects Kovin's laboratory and finds a sample of Borg nanoprobes on his table. When Kovin is informed that the discovery is sufficient evidence to detain him, Kovin immediately transports to his ship and flees.
the Entharan magistrate, the Doctor and Tuvok examine Kovin's lab |
Kovin transports to his spacecraft |
Voyager pursues Kovin while Janeway and Tuvok continue to inspect his confiscated weapons. When they simulate a thoron blast to Seven's arm and study a tissue sample, they discover that her nanoprobes regenerate just as they did in Kovin's lab - it appears to be a spontaneous response to the thoron blast. They suddenly realise that Seven's repressed memories are most likely images from her experiences while she was a Borg drone, and that she confused those with her recent time spent with Kovin.
When Janeway hails Kovin and explains they made a mistake in accusing him, he suspects it is a trap. He begins firing at Voyager. Janeway refuses to return fire and tries to beam him aboard instead. As Kovin overloads power on his ship, it destabilises and explodes, killing him.
Kovin on Voyager's Bridge's main viewscreen; he suspects Janeway of trying to trap him |
Kovin dies when his ship explodes |
Seven watches Kovin's ship as it explodes |
The Doctor is also on the Bridge with Seven when Kovin dies |
the Doctor hands Janeway a PADD on which is noted details of the deletions he proposes |
For the first time, Seven experiences remorse. So does the Doctor, since he believes that his over-zealous enthusiasm for expanding his program resulted in the tragedy. He therefore requests permission to delete everything except his original activation program, but Janeway refuses his request. |
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